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POPS Senior Profile: Izzy Pavano—bringing energy & enthusiasm to choral program

May 26, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS Senior Profiles we’ll be publishing.


izzy pavano
Izzy Pavano has been involved with the high school Choral department for four years. (Photo by Sandy Sandwich Productions0

 

Izzy Pavano ’23 has been involved in music for practically her entire life. At the age of four, she started playing piano, and as she had gotten older, she has involved herself more and more with different types of music. She began singing in sixth grade in the chorus at Wellesley Middle School. Now at the high school, she has studied vocal music for all four years.

“During my freshman and sophomore years, I was in Concert Choir at the high school. After that I auditioned for a select ensemble and was in the Keynote Singers my junior year. I currently sing in Rice Street, the high school’s jazz choir.” said Pavano.

Outside of school, Pavano has also participated in extracurricular a cappella during her junior and senior years. She is the business leader of Inchordination A Cappella, meaning she helps manage the group and books gigs. She has found this experience particularly rewarding because of the collaboration with the other high school a cappella leaders, both from her own group and the three others.

“Being a leader of an a cappella group is no easy feat, but the support I feel from my fellow leaders makes the leadership role nothing but an honor. Even though the four groups can occasionally get competitive with one another during our soccer tournament called acasoccer, at the end of the day we are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and we couldn’t be more proud of the work each group does,” she said.

Pavano’s involvement with the Choral department at the high school goes beyond what audience members see at a concert, however. What has made Pavano’s experience so special has been the people and community she was welcomed into as an underclassman, and that she now fosters as a leader and a choral intensive student. Pavano hosted the Inchordination group at her house for a dinner, providing a fun experience for singers from all grades.

Many of Pavano’s leadership skills in the Choral department came from last year’s seniors, the class of 2022, who were integral to keeping the choral program alive during the pandemic. One of Pavano’s most memorable experiences at the high school was singing a medley from the musical Rent at the spring concert last year because it was the last concert for the class of 2022.

“We had an exceptional group of seniors that year who had truly given their all to our program. The concert was a wonderful way to end the year with them, and while we were all so sad to lose them, we were so happy to have had such a phenomenal year with them.” said Pavano.

Inchordination A Cappella also has a signature move, as Pavano calls it, of dropping their heads at the end of their last song as the crowd bursts into applause. This year, at the Acatober concert, Pavano got to share that moment with someone very special to her: her younger sister, Sophia Pavano ’26. It was especially sweet because of all the hard work she had put into the concert as a choral intensive student and a leader of Inchordination.

“Hearing the crowd’s reaction to our set while being cheered on by the other a cappella groups was such a rewarding feeling and something I felt extremely proud of as a leader of our group,” she said.

Outside of an impressive repertoire of choral achievements, teachers and peers describe Pavano as a kind and welcoming leader who makes all feel welcome in the choral community.

“Izzy is a dedicated member of our performing arts community that puts significant thought and action to developing our overall Performing Arts Department.  Her focus, energy, and humor positively impacts others,” said Dr. Kevin McDonald, the choral director at the high school.

Izzy also feels incredibly lucky that the performing arts is such a vibrant community at the high school, and that she gets to learn from many other talented students as well as an incredible teacher in Dr. McDonald.

“Dr. McDonald makes it so obvious how much he cares about Wellesley’s singers and our success. He is a strong reminder to me to pursue what both makes me happy and also brings joy to others,” said Pavano. “Above all, the most admirable quality about our choir department is the people in it. Every single singer in the department is so passionate about what we do and that positive energy is contagious.”

Although Pavano does not intend on pursuing a music degree in college, music will definitely remain a part of her life. Pavano plans to attend Middlebury College starting in February 2024 after taking a gap semester. She hopes to join an a cappella group in college and teach piano to local students, as she has done in Wellesley. Her kindness and upbeat energy will certainly remain prominent in the program after she graduates in the spring.

Article written by WHS Bradford’s Caroline Thornton ’23.


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Filed Under: Music, POPS Senior Profile, Wellesley High School

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Wellesley Public Schools news: Last day is official; Advisory won’t investigate; Evolutions showcase

May 25, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley Public Schools news:

Public Schools makes last day official

Wellesley Public Schools—barring unforeseen circumstances—will be letting out for the school year on Thursday June 15, a half day, with teachers done the following day. Wednesday that week will be a full day for elementary schools.

Seniors have already wrapped up. WPS families got a scold-o-gram from the Wellesley High Principal the week before after a “Senior Skip Day” event had to be shortened when booze came into play.


Advisory won’t investigate

The Wellesley Advisory Committee devoted most of its May 3 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording) to the matter of whether Advisory should launch an investigatory review into the roughly $88M school budget approved this spring at Annual Town Meeting. Questions had been raised by Advisory and Town Meeting members this spring related to budget clarity, fueled by concerns of a rising budget at a time of decreasing enrollment (school officials have said throughout that enrollment and budget numbers do not rise or fall in lockstep).

Advisory member David Prock presented the investigation proposal at the committee meeting on May 3, starting out with a contention that such research could show that everything is great with the budget and that it is the size it should be. However, he said questions remain about certain details, such as payment for various consultants and administrative (“non-student”) spending. Prock has also sought raw data from spreadsheets that are behind the budget presentation slides. Prock said: “I think there are questions about where does the budget process start… Does it start with ‘Here’s what we spent last year, we know we have 3% more, how do we spend it?’ or is it different from that?”

During discussion, some Advisory members said they sympathized with the appetite for a deeper dive into the budget and concurred that the same questions about the budget will continue to be raised if the budget continues to rise while enrollment falls. However, there were concerns that this sort of review would overlap with a system already in place for Advisory to drill into the budget via its School Committee liaisons, and that any sort of investigation would burden the overtaxed school system and School Committee with even more work. There was also some back and forth about whether any such review would need to be general at the start, or involve the asking of more specific questions, such as those brought up at Advisory during meetings leading up to Town Meeting (and that resulted in slides at Town Meeting that answered some of those questions, such as comparing Wellesley’s numbers with those from other communities). Jenn Fallon, one of the Advisory liaisons to schools, said one possibility would be to pick specific things to dive in on each year, as was done with diversity, equity and inclusion spending baked into the budget. Rani Elwy, also a school liaison for Advisory, said specific questions could be asked much earlier in the budget development process through the existing liaison system.

Advisory voted 13-1, in a straw poll, in favor of sticking with the current liaison process but seeking ways to improve it.


Evolutions showcase

Here is a video from the Wellesley High School Evolutions Gen 8 Capstone Spring Expo, courtesy of Wellesley Public Media.


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Filed Under: Education

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Wellesley business buzz: Town well represented on new Leaders of Color lists; Church Square turns 100

May 21, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Town well represented on new Leaders of Color lists

Those who live or work in Wellesley are well represented on the new 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color and 20 Emerging Leaders of Color lists for the Charles River Metrowest region. The lists were compiled via public nominations and through a partnership between the Charles River Regional Chamber and Colette Phillips and Get Konnected!

The lists are designed to “shine a light on the leaders and future leaders of color who are making a positive contribution to the economic and social fabric of our west suburban businesses and nonprofits.” The Chamber also says the lists can spark deeper conversations about work left to be done in supporting diversity.

The lists includes these Wellesley residents and/or employees:

Most Influential

  • Alexis Avila (Founder/CEO, Prepped & Polished Tutoring & Test Preparation)
  • DaQuall Graham (Chief People Officer, Insource Services)
  • Paula A. Johnson (President, Wellesley College)
  • Sheilah Shaw Horton, Ph.D. (Vice President and Dean of Students, Wellesley College)
  • Lawrence P. Ward, Ed. D. (Vice President and Dean of Campus Life, Babson College)
  • Gardy Desrouleaux (Founder/Owner, Craft Food Halls)

Emerging

  • Lucas Machado (Owner and CEO, Curbs Studio)

Congrats to all of those named to these lists.

influential list

Church Square turns 100

Members of the family that started Church Square 100 years ago and still operate it today turned out to celebrate the shopping center adjacent to Wellesley Square. A ribbon cutting took place outside E.A. Davis, the first occupant of the square. Pauline Elms, granddaughter of  Church Square founder Charles E. Holman, did the honors of cutting a bright red ribbon to mark the occasion.

Pauline Elms readies to cut the ribbon for Church Square's 100th anniversary
Pauline Elms readies to cut the ribbon for Church Square’s 100th anniversary

 

Select Board Chair Lise Olney presents citation to the Church Square family
Select Board Chair Lise Olney (black top) presents citation to the Church Square family

 


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Filed Under: Business, Education

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MassBay in Wellesley: President’s update; Commencement coming; Digital sign toned down; Resident joins board

May 20, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest news from MassBay Community College, which has a campus in Wellesley on Oakland Street at Rte. 9 east:

MassBay President’s update

MassBay President Dr. David Podell shared an update on the community college on Tuesday, May 16 with the Wellesley Select Board (about 4:30 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording).

He began with a profile of students, who tend to attend school part-time, tend to have at least 1 job, are age 26 on average, and are attracted to MassBay for programs such as automotive, health science, and business. Many come for associates degrees, but many others use MassBay as a way station on their path to a bachelor’s-granting college. Podell says he hears from some students that classes at MassBay are tougher than at other colleges.

“Community colleges have a reputation, unjust I think, of being an extension of high school. But what we do is serious academic work, but with supports…,” he said, that include addressing food insecurity, childcare, and transportation. “So we’ve moved somewhat into the social services field.”

Other items of note:

  • MassBay later this year will open its first building constructed for the school. It will be on the Framingham campus and focus on health sciences education.
  • There are no plans to build dorms in Wellesley, as there’s not enough demand
  • Podell’s excited about a state initiative that could make community college free to those 25 years old and up who have completed required financial aid paperwork
  • “We [community colleges] serve 42% of the public higher education students in the Commonwealth but we only get 25% of the money. And that’s because of an old formula that funds UMass very generously and the state universities a little less generously, and the community colleges the least. Because of prejudices of the past we’re looked upon as an extension of high school, and it’s infuriating. But it means that we can’t help students who need us the most…”

 

 

Commencement coming

MassBay Community College will hold its 61st  commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. on the Wellesley Hills campus. The ceremony will draw thousands of people to celebrate MassBay graduates, impacting traffic in and around the campus between 4–8 p.m. The MassBay Police Department and the Wellesley Police Department will work together to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety during this event.

 

Digital sign toned down

 

MassBay hopes its new digital sign will get the attention of commuters passing its campus on Rte .9. As it turns out, the sign also got the attention of some neighbors, who complained to the town about it.

“The light dominates the night sky and shines directly into my second floor windows from sunset to sunrise. Not so bad now but I will be more affected as fall arrives and sunsets get earlier. The issue is mostly the negative visual to a residential area,” wrote on reader, who notes that the light will impact those who wind  up living in planning new homes at that intersection.

MassBay has agreed to dim the sign from 10pm-midnight, and to turn it off after that until 5am, according to an update provided during a recent Wellesley Planning Board meeting (see Wellesley Media recording, toward the end). Though I will say when traveling past it after midnight this past Saturday night, it was on.

Hopefully this a compromise that will work for all.

massbay sign
New MassBay digital sign, on right, at Rte. 9/Oakland Street intersection

 

Wellesley resident joins board

 

Separately, David S. Kennedy of Wellesley has been approved to join the MassBay Community College Foundation Board for a three-year term.

The Board enhances the vitality of the College by promoting investment from external sources, growing the endowment, awarding scholarships, and creating partnerships for learning.

Kennedy is a senior fixed income portfolio manager at Columbia Threadneedle Investments.


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Filed Under: MassBay

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Ultimate frisbee’s future in Wellesley up in the air

May 19, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Ultimate Team (WUT) team got its start during the summer of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and parents were looking for socially-distanced ways for their masked elementary school kids to have fun and get exercise. Now three years later, as the ultimate frisbee team preps for the state’s championship on June 3, it remains to be seen how things will be play out out as most of the team heads to high school in the fall.

Wellesley Youth Ultimate
Wellesley Youth Ultimate, with coach Jim Chen on the far right wearing a hat

 

Longtime ultimate player Jim Chen got the team going with his kids and other Schofield Elementary School students, and has been trying to get formal support through the public school system for the sport, with a grand vision of seeing the popular disc sport eventually go varsity at Wellesley High.

“Ultimate is a great alternative sport for kids no longer interested in traditional sports like basketball, baseball, and football. It’s a non-contact, outdoor team sport. The cost to playing the game is low—just cones, plastic frisbees, and field space,” Chen says. “The sport of Ultimate allows youths to develop their game as they choose. Ultimate can be a casual pick-up game, or it can be as competitive as you want it. Massachusetts high schools already have three divisions of play.”

As of now, the team is not formally affiliated with the public school system. “It is maddening to see middle school programs in Newton and Needham that have garnered such popularity that they had to restrict participation to tryouts,” said Chen, who says he has been unable to get the team officially recognized through Wellesley Public Schools or to work out anything on the liability forms front.

There’s a process to get sports on the varsity track at Wellesley High, usually starting at the club level. Teams such as cheerleading, girls’ golf, and boys’ volleyball have taken this path over the past decade or so in becoming varsity programs.

Wellesley High actually does have a Frisbee Club, which includes weekly ultimate games and weekend disc golf matches. Though Chen says it’s much more casual than what most of the kids on Wellesley Youth Ultimate are looking for. Assistant Athletic Director Chris McGrath says maybe a more formal team will develop in the future, but that there’s nothing immediately happening.

At other area schools, ultimate has become more formalized and co-ed teams are thriving. Natick High Ultimate was formed in 2010, and last year the varsity team won the Division 2 state title. Weston High has a new spring club team, and a program for little kids have emerged in that neighboring town as well.

The Wellesley Ultimate Team, which has a brand new website, has cobbled together a schedule of games that began at the end of March, with home games played at Sprague Fields. WUT has reeled off wins vs. middle school teams from Shady Hill, Belmont Day, Needham, and Newton, and games against a couple of high school junior varsity teams have been added to the schedule “to keep our kids on their toes,” Chen says.

“Our program is in the air for next year where we have not had the support from the school to grow the middle school team, and there is currently no Wellesley High School Ultimate,” says Chen, who played the sport in high school in California, as well as at college and in leagues like BUDA. 

Chen says Boston has one of the most vibrant ultimate scenes in the country, and even points to a couple of Wellesley Ultimate Frisbee team members from the 1970’s and 1980’s who were inducted into the USA Ultimate Hall of Fame.

WUT has 16 players, most of whom will be in high school next fall. So Chen says the current team will become a high school one, with middle schoolers playing up. He’s on the lookout for more players, including juniors and seniors, to join. For more information on WUT, reach out to Jim Chen.

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Filed Under: Sports, Wellesley High School, Wellesley Middle School

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POPS Senior Profile: Ivy Lei—Using music as a language for connection

May 17, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS Senior Profiles we’ll be publishing.


Ivy Lei
Ivy Lei originally pursued violin as a way to play a different instrument than her older brother, who played piano. Photo courtesy of Ivy Lei.

 

Not many third grade violinists warm up to play the national anthem while watching the Boston Celtics warm up for a game, but Ivy Lei ’23 has. Ever since Lei chose violin from a list of potential instruments, she has been a part of many musical opportunities, including all eight of the New England Conservatory’s orchestras.

In the ten years Lei has played violin, she has been involved with music inside and outside of the high school. At the high school, along with being an orchestra intensive, Lei is the first stand in the second violins. She has also taken theory classes, played in chamber ensembles, and currently plays in the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at the New England Conservatory (NEC).

Under the tutelage of her private instructor Mark Lakirovich, and the conductor of the high school’s orchestras, Dr. Sergey Khanukaev, Lei has fostered connection and growth within orchestral groups.

“One of the main things that I love about the WHS orchestra is that I’ve been playing with the same people since freshman year, so I’ve been able to build a strong relationship with the orchestra members, and I think that’s a big thing. We can see our bond translate into the music we produce,” said Lei.

Lei’s orchestral friends suggest part of the reason for such a successful bond is Lei herself.

“She is always willing to put others first, allowing them to share their own experiences with her and anyone who might be listening, thus helping to create the warm atmosphere she brings into every room,” said Liam Prentice ’24.

Music has also granted Lei experiences with self-sufficiency and being around similarly impassioned peers, such as at Lakirovich’s summer music camp in Cremona, Italy.

“My first year attending [Cremona] was eighth grade, and I spent three weeks in Italy without my parents. I was living with new people I’d met who also shared my passion for music, so [it] was really fun [to be] independent,” said Lei.

Lei has also dabbled in novel musical opportunities nearer to home. In Lei’s freshman year, she took a chance by being in the pit orchestra for the high school production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

“Pit orchestra was very challenging because of the short amount of time we had to prepare, and I had never played for two and a half hours straight, live. It was interesting to be behind the scenes, yet part of the performance at the same time,” said Lei.

Now busy with high school work and other extracurricular activities, consistently practicing is a challenge. Lei considers school to be more important, and so prioritizes this work, but she still tries to practice every other day for about an hour, and has weekly lessons. Although quitting has always been an option, Lei has never given in.

“The reason I continue playing is because of the journey of playing violin,” said Lei.

Ivy Lei playing violin
Lei’s family has supported her throughout her violin experience. Photo courtesy of Ivy Lei.

 

In the beginning of Lei’s violin experience, competition was a major factor, particularly when auditioning for prestigious orchestras or other programs.

“Generally, in those environments, the auditions are the competitive parts, but once you’re in, you’re in your seats, in the moment during rehearsal, none of that really matters, and it’s more of a friendly rivalry,” Lei said.

As Lei has gotten older and expanded her interests to include robotics and architecture, she has been able to focus more on playing violin for enjoyment rather than competition.

“I’m grateful for having other interests, because I can [play] violin because I enjoy playing it, and not to be better than other people,” Lei said.

As the co-founder of the architecture club and the mechanical lead for the high school robotics team, Lei must handle many concurrent commitments. A busy robotics season and multiple ongoing  projects in the architecture club (see also “New mini-library a natural fit at Wellesley community garden”) make balance difficult.

Ivy Lei working
Lei enjoys hiking, traveling, photography, and going for walks with her family. Photo courtesy of Ivy Lei.

 

Although these different endeavors may seem unrelated, Lei finds that her many engagements have shared elements.

“Going into architecture, there are lots of collaborative aspects, and similarly, in orchestra, you also have to collaborate with other members of the orchestra to make sure you all sound good together,” said Lei.

Lei plans on incorporating her varied interests into her plans for college at Cornell next fall where she will major in architecture.

“I want to keep violin in my life throughout college, which I plan to do at Cornell through their orchestras… I want to participate in that to keep me involved in violin, but I also love playing in orchestras. The people are the main reason why orchestra exists,” said Lei.

As for Lei’s thoughts on incorporating music into her adult life, she sees it as something she will lean on to relieve stress while working on her career.

“I would like to keep [violin] as a hobby, something that I pick up when I need a break from work,” Lei said.

Article written by WHS Bradford’s Alexis Lee ’25 (assistant features editor) and Elizabeth Hoerter ’25 (staff writer)


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Filed Under: Music, POPS Senior Profile, Wellesley High School

Now that was a colorful Wellesley weekend

May 16, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Blooming flowers and trees weren’t the only colorful things in Wellesley this past spring weekend.

Dozens took part in the Upham Color Dash, a Holi festival-inspired fun run at Upham Elementary School where participants are sprayed with colored dust as they traverse the course. Those dishing out the colors seemed to be having a little too much fun…

Upham color dashUpham color dashUpham color dash

Across town at Tenacre Country Day School, kids and adults were having fun at the annual Tenacre Fair, an inflatables-filled fun fest.

Tenacre Fair


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Wellesley Dumps Standards-Based Grading

May 15, 2023 by admin 5 Comments

By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell

Wellesley High School has decided to end standards-based grading beginning in fall 2023, Principal Jamie Chisum announced on Friday in the email bulletin sent to WHS families. 

“Wellesley High School will not be using the standards based grading system moving forward. We will put individual grades on individual assignments, those grades will be averaged into a larger term and final grades. We will use pluses and minuses,” Chisum said in the email bulletin.

Standards-based grading will still be used in foreign language classes, which pioneered the grading system 15 years ago, Chisum said. The grading also will continue in the project-based Evolutions Program, which juniors and seniors may opt in to. 

Standards-based grading assesses students based on their mastery of a single skill rather than an average of tests at the end of each section of material. For example, a class may have five to eight skills during a single quarter and students are graded on their mastery of each. Some teachers give a full letter grade for each skill mastered; others grade based on a weighted average of scores for each skill. 

WHS has faced criticism since rolling out the system during the pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 school year. The new grading system was intended to help teachers assess students in the shortened teaching time and with dramatically changed curriculum. 

Complaints from parents came to a head earlier this year, starting with a presentation to the School Committee on Jan. 31 and a March 9 open forum. Chisum said during the open forum that the school would announce changes to the grading system before the end of this year.  

Here’s the complete announcement from the May 12, 2023 e-bulletin:

Standards Based Grading is Going Away 

I’ve been hearing from a lot of our parents asking about Standards Based Grading for next year so I want to get right to this update on that topic.  Wellesley High School will not be using the standards based grading system moving forward. We will put individual grades on individual assignments, those grades will be averaged into a larger term and final grades.  We will use pluses and minuses. Evolutions will continue to use SBG and the World Language Department will continue to use the system they’ve been using for at least the last 15 years. We believe the grades should not be causing confusion or angst and we think the best way to remove that is by returning to a grading system families are familiar with and trust. Our courses will still have standards as they always have – they need to answer what are the most important things each course is about. The state continues to have required standards for most departments (and has for decades in some departments). We still believe in the course alignment work we’ve been doing, so we will continue to do that work too. I’m not parsing or selling anything here, just trying to be clear. Will we likely still have challenges with grades in the fall? Yes. We always have, and this adjustment might not be perfect right away, but I truly believe it will be extremely comforting to anyone who has been concerned with the classes that were using standards based grading. 

If anything else comes up as the teachers work through the necessary adjustments for this change, I will certainly let you know all about it.


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Filed Under: Education, Wellesley High School

Update: Wellesley School Committee, educators union finally come to terms

May 13, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

[This post was updated on 5/13/23] After more than a year of negotiations, the Wellesley School Committee and Wellesley Educators Union announced Saturday they’ve agreed on a four-year, $11.57 million package “that boosts compensation for teachers and staff, expands benefits, and provides additional support for students.” This includes cost of living adjustments of 11% for teachers and administrators, 15% for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals, and 13.75% for secretaries and other positions.

A day after the Wellesley School Committee filed a petition with the state’s Department of Labor Relations to try to prevent a possible strike by the Wellesley Educators Association, the WEA announced on Friday it had “moved to accept the latest offer from management.” It did indeed ratify the offer on Friday night.

The School Committee earlier on Friday issued an update in which it stated it is “very pleased” with the latest development and that its bargaining team is “carefully reviewing” a draft memorandum of understanding forwarded by the WEA.

“The four–year proposed agreement that the Committee presented May 8 provides substantial compensation increases for our teachers and staff, increases some benefits, provides additional supports for students, and meets the School Committee’s fiscal responsibilities to the Town,” the School Committee wrote.

WEA members had been working without a contract since last July, and the two sides had been working with a state-assigned mediator in recent weeks to try to come to terms.

The WEA on Thursday claimed victory on several fronts, including: starting salaries above $31K for educational support professionals, also known as paraprofessionals; more prep time for classroom teachers; a task force for specialist full-time teachers; and expanded parental leave for more employees.

The new agreement will be in effect through June 30, 2026.

Even with the deal sealed, the red-shirted WEA will continue to make itself visible. It plans to rally on Saturday at 1pm at Wellesley Middle School with peers from the Weston Public School system, which has also gone the mediation route to settle a contract dispute.


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Wellesley School Committee seeks to head off possible teacher strike

May 11, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley School Committee, getting more than whiff that the the teachers’ union might strike Monday, filed a petition Thursday with the state’s Department of Labor Relations to prevent such an action. The School Committee held an executive session (aka, behind closed doors session) “to discuss potential litigation related to the anticipated Wellesley Educators Association strike.”

Word is that the Wellesley Educators Association plans to vote Friday night to authorize a group to make a strike decision. Strikes by most public employees are illegal in the state, though a handful of school unions have gone on strike this year anyway in an effort to force school districts’ hands. The Massachusetts Teachers Association is pushing for legislation to allow its members to strike, not that that will help the WEA this time around.

The two sides in Wellesley have pumped out statements and updates during this Teacher Appreciation Week about how much they each have conceded or offered during negotiations. WEA members have been working without a contract since last July, and the two sides have been working with a state-assigned mediator in recent weeks to try to come to terms.

The WEA issued a press release on Tuesday in which the union stated the two sides “are very close to reaching a contract agreement that will end this protracted labor dispute. It is down to this: respecting paraeducators and parents….”

Among the items that the WEA is still pushing for is annualized pay for paraeducators to avoid them get puny paychecks on some weeks, examples of which they shared on social media. The WEA also seeks more movement on paid parental leave.

The same day that the WEA issued its statement, the School Committee held its usual public meeting, though adjusted its agenda to focus on negotiation updates at the start. Two public comment segments were also included, giving members of the public their chance to urge a settlement.

In its statement issued on Thursday regarding its Department of Labor Relations filing, the School Committee said in part: “Going into this past Monday’s negotiating session, the School Committee’s bargaining team was eager to present what we believed was a comprehensive offer that met and in many ways exceeded the WEA’s desired compensation for paraprofessionals and teaching assistants. Unfortunately, the union leadership has not accepted this offer and instead has focused its efforts on planning for an illegal strike.”

The School Committee emphasized that its filing does not preclude continued negotiations.

Filed Under: Education

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Upcoming Events

May 30
7:00 pm - 8:15 pm

Memorial Day observances in Wellesley

Jun 3
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge guided walk

Jun 4
8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Schofield 5k, Fun Run and Fun Fair

Jun 4
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hazardous Household Waste & Document Destruction Day

Jun 6
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

2023 Wellesley Democratic Town Committee Caucus

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Recent Comments

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